Method of making covering material for aircraft.



W. G. CLARK.

METHOD OF MAKING COVERING MATERIAL FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLlCATION FILED JAN. 20. [917.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

M 2 5%., Ma attozmzqa PATENT oFFio-E.

spc te e i a v Patented ct.16, 1am,

"#ppllcatlon illedianuary'w, 1917. Serial No. 143,471.

' To dll whom it may concern:

for depositing a layer of metal on the web,

-' B "tr-known that L'WALTER GrGLARK, a. citizen ofthe' United States, and aresident of t-he boroughof Manhattan, city, county, and 'Stat'e ofNew Yerk, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements" in'Methods "of "Making Covering Material *for Aircraft, of 'whih'the fol-lowing is aspecification, accompanied-bydrawings.

invention relates-to covering material .501" aeroplanes, balloons or othefair craft, oi'ffor any other purpose where athin, light,

stnongfland air tight-covering is necessary,

and 'where skin frietionis a; consideration which makes ,a smooth surfacehighly desirable This application'is a continuationin rtof my copending application, Serial 0'. 108,140, filed 'July 8,1916, with additional'features. 'The basis or foundation of the material consists of aweb of wire mesh ornet, whichmay be of fine wires, either steel, copper, brass,- bron'ze or any other suitable material-to which a deposit of metal applied electrically or, by Well-known spray methods, will-adhere firmly; Upon this foundation web of netting, a continuous surface of metal is -for med bridging the openings or mesh between theewires, and thus making a sheet ofmetal supported upon and firmly adherenttothe wireweb. The metal deposited electrically or, otherwise, may' be either copper or nickel or any other suitable metal that is capable of bein formed on, the web in-a smooth even' 1m, but the metals mentioned, or a combination of the twofar'e preferred, on account of the ease with'whi'ch they may be deposited and because 'of-the strength of the metallic-film so formed.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of constructiqnjthe steps and the sequence of, steps-which are exemplified in the structures hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indlcated in the following claims.

'In the -acc omp'anying drawings show ng one or more of various possible embodiments of this-invention; I I p I :Figure 1 is aside elevation of apparatus after the web has first received a preliminary treeltment with filling material, {such as varms Fig 2 is a similar View of apparatus for depos ting a-l ayer of metal on the web, after the web has received a preliminary treatnent with a suitable paste; l

lfigiijis a similar view of a paratus for forming afsu'rface onthe web by means of a thin sheet of metal or foil, and locking the (sheet of metal or foil to the web by electroedeposition, and

' Fig. 4 is a similar view of apparatus for forming a coating or layer of metal on the web, by means ofa spray of metal.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 1

First meth0d.A coating of varnish or collodion' or any othersuit'able fillingmaterial of similar nature, which is insoluble in water, is applied to thewiremesh in such manner that it closes all'the openings between'the wires over substantially the -entire-surface area of the web. After this coating is applied, one of the surfaces is cleaned, exposing the wires, and a conducting material is buffed or rubbed into the surface of the filling material. This conducting material may be either a metallic powder or graphite, or any other-suitable material, which can'be-applied to the surface 'of the varnish or coating, and is a conductor of electricity. The web or wire net is then laced in or run through an electroplating ath and the entire surface is'plated with the metal to loo-deposited.

Fig. l-shows a plating bath 'A having a suitable-electrolyte B and an electrode 0. The wire 'mesh M properly treated 'as described, is run through the bath from the roll), over the roller '13, to the rewinding roll F. The roller E forms the other'terniinal of the'circuit, and a film or coating of metal is deposited on the prepared side of z the wire mesh.

Second method-Instead of using varnisna paste made of finely divided metals mixed with a simple binder, may be spread smoothly over the mesh, either by spreading the same under moderate pressure, or by passing the wire mesh and the fillin material between rolls. One of the sur aces 15 then cleaned to insure that the wires will be exposed, and the webbing thus filled is passed through an electroplating bath, as described.

In' Fig. 2, G and H represent rolls between which the wire mesh M passes, and J represents a nozzle or pot for feeding the paste to the mesh between the rolls. The mesh passes over a roller K and around a drum L to the rewinding roll 0. In so pasing, the mesh dips into the electroplatmg bath B, as in Fig. 1. 1

In either method illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, after a continuous metallic surface is secured by depositing a metal over the surface of the filled web, the plated web is then passed through a suitable solution, which will dissolve the varnish or collodion or the binding material contained in the metallic paste, and when the filling material has been entirely removed, the web and its surface are then in condition to be used; or the material may be strengthened by again passing the web through a plating bath and depositing another coating of metal on the back or reverse side op osite to that which received the first deposit; or an additional film may be deposited on both sides in this second operation, but such second operation. is not essential, except where it is desired to reinforce and strengthen the surface originally produced. Third method.The metallic surface may also be obtained by firmly pressing upon the surface of the web a thin sheet of metal, such as tinfoil or silver foil or any other very thin metallic film of suitable metal, and then looking this film to the web by depositing metal on the reverse side, thereby locking the surface of film firmly to the wires.

In Fig. 3, the web M is shown assin from the roll D, over the roller E, t rou the bath B, to the rewinding roll F. T e thin sheet of metal or foil P passes from the roll Q over the roller E, between the surface of said roller' and the web M, and the rewinding roll F takes up both the web M and the foil P. The web M is placed under sufiicient tension to press the foil or thin sheet of metal P tightly against the same, and the electro deposit of metal from the bath B firmly locks the foil to the web.

As a modification of these methods, the

metallic. surface filmmay be formed by.

spraying heated metal upon the treated web, as shown in Fig. 4, inwhich the web M after preliminary treatment with varnish or the like, or metallic paste, or with thin sheet metal or foil from reel Q pressed against the same is passed over a roller E or over a table, and metal is sprayed onto the web from a. suitable sprayer R in a well-known manner, thus forming the conztinuous metallic surface on the web, as beore. I

The color of the surface deposit may be controlled by controlling the metal deposited, or the rate of deposition, or by depositing a combination of more than one metal, as desired.

Fourth method.My invention also contemplates a thermo process of soldering, brazing or welding the wire mesh to a thm sheet of metal, whether that thin sheet of metal is first produced by electro-deposition mirror surfaces by silverin as for instance,

by means of a reducible sa t of tin incorporated with a volatile oil. A web of copper mesh and a thin sheet of copper may be securely attached together in this way. They should preferably first be thoroughly cleaned, as by securing, w or-by acid liquids, and heated almost up to the point of tin by suitable means, to whi eated surfaces the tinning materials are su lied. I n

he coverin material produced by the hereindescribe method, has the advantages of being thin, stron and non-combustible. It can be produc either in continuous lengths or in continuous sheets of an reasonably desired area. The,wire mesfi provides a strong suplport which is strength-.

ened by the materi deposited, which is firmly attached to and homogeneously incorporated 'with the material of the Wires.

In view of the above it will be seen that the several objects of this invention are achieved, and other advantageous results attained.

As various possible embodiments might be made of t e above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accomlpanying drawings is to be interpreted as i ustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following:

1. The method of making sheet material, which consists in mechanically applying a metallic surface directly to a wire mesh or web and locking the same in position by apply ng and incorporating metal upon the reverse side in contact with and attached to both the metallic surface and the wires of the mesh.

2. The method of making sheet material, which consists in mechanically applying a metallic surface directly to a wire mesh or web and locking the same in position by spraying heated metal upon the reverse side of the web, thereby incorporating the metal with both. the metallic surface and the wires 10 of the web.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER G. CLARK. Witnesses M. M. RmMANN, A; C. PARHAM. 

